A nitroguanidine derivative having an insecticidal activity and a process for producing the same are described in JP02288860A, JP03157308A and JP07179448A. However, for example in JP 07179448A, the problem occurs in the production process that exchange reactions between an isothiourea derivative and an amine are frequent thereby releasing a mercaptan as a by-product giving an offensive odor.
As an alternative process, JP10120666A discloses a process for producing a guanidine derivative represented by formula (B) having an insecticidal activity by reacting an isourea compound or a salt thereof represented by formula (A) with an amine or a salt thereof: ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrocarbon group, which may have a substituent; R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group, which may have a substituent; Q represents a heterocyclic group, which may have a substituent; and X represents an electron withdrawing group, ##STR3## wherein R.sup.3 represents an amino group, which may have a substituent; and R.sup.2, Q, and X have the same meanings as above.
According to this process, however, there are problems in that the expensive isourea derivative represented by formula (A) must be used as an intermediate to produce the guanidine derivative represented by formula (B) having an insecticidal activity.